Harper's 'Shark Tank' gives to small businesses with Duchossois' help

Harper College has a "Shark Tank" of its own, with the financial backing of a Barrington-area philanthropist.

Unlike the TV show, Kim Duchossois doesn't sit on the panel that awards cash to expanding businesses or seed money for startups; the tough questioning is done by Harper entrepreneur program faculty, college foundation board members, and staff of the school's Small Business Development Center.

So Thursday marked the first time Duchossois got to meet the business owners who will be among the first to benefit from her $250,000 gift last year to the Harper College Educational Foundation. She presented checks to three business owners looking to boost their operations.

"This resonated socioeconomically," Duchossois said. "We are in trouble if we don't inspire young people and those who can run businesses."

The foundation's Dream Big - Angel Grant program will award $50,000 each of the next five years to local business owners and Harper students taking entrepreneurial courses.

Students will present their startup ideas to the panel this spring, but the first round of grant funding went to three company owners who presented their business plans last month.

"I always wanted to be an entrepreneur since I was a little girl," said Ana Santos, owner of Brazil Express Grill at 1045 S. Roselle Road in Schaumburg.

Santos and her husband, Mario Vitelo, got $10,000 to help market their 5-year-old casual Brazilian steakhouse, start catering, and possibly open a second location.

While growing up outside Rio de Janeiro and paying to take an English course, Santos said she was told, "You're going to be a housewife. You're going to be talking to pots and pans."

"But here I am today," she said. "This grant gives us more power not only financially, but it's like someone believes in us."

Richard McCaffrey of Inverness got $10,000 to help launch and patent technology that performs robotic casting of concrete modules that can be used in construction of apartments, hotels, dorms and hospitals.

"This is lifesaving for our company," he said.

Megan Hastings of Des Plaines got a $5,000 grant for her gluten-free cookie subscription box company, Lush Bites, that will allow her to buy custom boxes and hire a virtual assistant.

Duchossois also donated $750,000 to the Promise Scholarship program, launched in March 2015, that guarantees high school students two years of free Harper tuition if they keep their grades up, limit school absences, perform community service and graduate on time.